Milwaukee Bucks: P.J. Tucker and Jeff Teague are both finding their footing

With title aspirations in mind, the Milwaukee Bucks have taken an aggressive approach to improve the roster dating back to this past offseason.

The offseason additions of Jrue Holiday, Bobby Portis, and Bryn Forbes, among others, have all been fantastic fits to this point in the season. However, despite making several sizeable splashes in the offseason, the front office has remained adamant about furthering bolstering the roster throughout this year, which has brought in a pair of household veterans.

More from Bucks News

• Bucks 2023-24 player profile: Can MarJon Beauchamp take a leap?
• Piecing together the Milwaukee Bucks’ dream starting 5 in 5 years
• Predicting Thanasis Antetokounmpo’s 2023-24 stats for the Bucks
• Grade the trade: Bucks land reputable backup guard in swap with Pacers
• New workout video should have Milwaukee Bucks fans excited

The first was P.J. Tucker, whom the team acquired from the Houston Rockets in a recent deal centered around D.J. Augustin and D.J. Wilson. Tucker was arguably the biggest name floating around on the trade market when the deal went through, and fans were ecstatic about the news.

Milwaukee’s next move came through the buyout market, where they signed veteran floor general Jeff Teague to fill their point guard vacancy. Teague had a rough start to the season with the Boston Celtics before he was traded to the Orlando Magic and subsequently waived. That paved the way for the Bucks to sign him, which quickly proved to be a great decision.

Jeff Teague and P.J. Tucker have found their groove since joining the Milwaukee Bucks

Tucker’s tenure with the Bucks got off to a rough start after being sidelined due to a left calf strain after just three games. After missing 10 consecutive games, the 35-year-old made his return to the lineup and picked up right where he left off.

While the numbers on the stat sheet might not show it, Tucker has had a big impact for Milwaukee on the defensive end. His ability to switch on defense has given this team another versatile piece on that side of the ball, which is why they traded for him in the first place. With the Bucks potentially running into players like Jimmy Butler, Kevin Durant, and Jayson Tatum in the postseason, a player with Tucker’s defensive prowess could make all the difference.

Offensively, the forward has somewhat struggled to put points on the board with the Bucks, but he has found some opportunities recently. In Milwaukee’s 120-109 win over the Atlanta Hawks, Tucker finished with eight points on 3-of-4 shooting, including 2-of-3 from deep. His corner 3-point shooting has a reputation of being among the most prolific in NBA history, giving the team another reliable threat on the perimeter.

As for Teague, the former All-Star has played rejuvenated basketball since reuniting with his former head coach Mike Budenholzer in Milwaukee. In nine games with the team, the veteran has averaged 6.9 points on 46.5 percent shooting from the floor while dishing out 3.2 assists per game.

Teague has been a seamless fit for this second unit, particularly as the Bucks were scouring the market for a backup point guard when he hit the open market. Although it comes in a small sample size, the scoring and playmaking he has provided off the bench is just what this team needed. While he is just 4-for-12 on triples since joining the team, he is bound to turn that around at some point.

While it is still relatively early for both of them, it is great to see Teague and Tucker adjusting accordingly to their individual roles. These two will likely play a big part in Milwaukee’s success down the stretch, and they should only get more acclimated with the team with each passing game.